"The money is there" - A poor rationalization

The first man to reach the summit of Mt. Everest was Sir Edmund Hillary. His exploit reverberated worldwide. Scaling the mountain in sudden and unpredictable changes of weather and along dangerous uncharted course was a most perilous journey. But, each time he was asked what prompted him to scale the treacherous heights of the world highest peak, Sir Edmund was quoted as saying “(b)ecause it is there”. He even rarely talked about his Sherpan guide by the name of Tensing, without whom, the story would have, probably, been altogether different.

 I remember the quote attributed to the English mountain climber when I read about the furor over the two planned infrastructure projects in the city called “fly-over.” Our Cebu City North representative in the person of the Hon. Cutie del Mar, is proposing the construction of two such structures. Her rationalization of the project is a poor imitation of the quote attributed to Sir Edmund. She was reported to be saying that the projects have to push thru because the “money is there.”

 Let us back track a little bit. Early on, the lady legislator bombarded us with information about the construction of these “fly-overs,” perhaps, to compensate for the paucity of news about her principal work—involvement in plenary congressional debates. Maybe because we do not see her actively participating in legislative discussions, she belabored the point that she and her father joined hands and worked hard to get the needed funds. Why would she tell us that her father assisted her in getting the allocation, is beyond me. I could not see its relevance unless it is a predicate for his return in 2013.

 Shortly after the flood of such press releases, detractors, from different walks of life, began to surface. One by one, they questioned the wisdom of the huge monetary outlay involved. Those opposing the projects argued that similar structures, like the one built at the junction of Juan Luna and Archbishop Reyes Avenues and the other constructed near the Maria Luisa Estate Park, have not proven their worth as solutions to traffic problems.

 One remarkable oppositor to the lawmaker’s projects is His Honor, Cebu City Mayor Michael L. Rama, himself. Being our city chief executive, he is presumed to be in the best position to know what our city needs in terms of infrastructure. The mayor claimed that the hundreds of millions of pesos, appropriated for the “fly-overs” would serve the city better if spent on widening roads and constructing new ones. No “fly-overs,” please.

 Maybe in an attempt to silence the oppositors, including the mayor, the lady lawmaker called a hasty press conference last week. Mayor Rama, hinting that a public hearing would have been a better session, announced that he would not attend it. To him, it would serve no purpose. Indeed, reports from the said media event echoed the unwavering position of the congresswoman. Her reason for pushing the project, notwithstanding the spiraling opposition, is a revival of Sir Edmund’s famous line.

 Sir Edmund’s “because it is there” was understandable. Mt. Everest posed a challenge to his venturesome mind. He (and Tensing) had to find out what would be one’s feeling, if not what would it benefit mankind, upon setting foot at the top of the mountain. And so they risked their lives, using funds completely their own to see what was at the mountain’s peak.

Hon. Del Mar cannot use that line. She has to yield to reason, after all, the fund involved is not her own. That money is there supposedly for purposeful undertaking and the mayor has already pointed to her the right direction. She should remember that the expense her father poured into two such projects were people’s money wasted. It is best for her not to repeat the error. For her to insist on the “fly-over” projects simply because the “money is there” indicates the absence of a conscience for public weal.